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The pressure for "conformity of outrage" has its own dangers. We Americans are inclined toward the easy symbolism of yellow ribbons tied on trees or the facile patriotism of American flags on bumper stickers. Conformity of outrage, particularly under public or political pressure, is dangerous too.

LONDON -- This week began with the continuing fallout from the killing spree at UCSB. Richard Martinez, whose son was among the victims, blamed "craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA." Echoing that outrage, and the senselessness that lets it continue, the Onion nailed it: "'No Way to Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens." On Wednesday, Maya Angelou passed away, and the world mourned the poet, teacher and thinker who inspired us to look within, reach out and celebrate our common humanity. In in-house news, I was in London, where I found the mindfulness revolution in full swing. As Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe put it, "Ten years ago when I left the monastery I wouldn't have thought I could have a conversation on mindfulness in the pub, let alone with the Chancellor of the Exchequer." As the new week begins, we can let Maya continue to guide us: "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud."

This past week, at the Seattle Interactive Conference, I sat down with Tim Keck, the co-founder of The Onion. Tim and I spoke about transparency from both a creative and editorial standpoint -- and what has made The Onion so successful all these years.

It is worth keeping in mind, though, that after every catastrophic phase, after every setback, both Greece and the NY Jets have managed to survive, recover and, on occasion, prosper. Both Greeks and Gang Green nation are nothing but truly resilient.

The fact that pregnant women are running, rapping, dancing, giving speeches and wielding paint brushes on top of step ladders helps to put to rest the enduring sexist notion that pregnancy is a malady, weakness or condition.

It seems that Congressman Fleming's ability to separate fact from fiction hasn't improved much in the past year. The stories he's now believing might not come from The Onion, but the headlines are just as far-fetched and the stories just as fictitious.

I'm a comedy writer. I get dark comedy. There's certainly a way to write a biting, sarcastic piece about a monster who locked up three teenagers in separate rooms and sexually assaulted them for ten years. And there's a way to do it without using the actual victims as the mouthpiece.

While there's undoubtedly magic in The Onion's satirical take on the press, there's no unicorn dust in their social media success. They follow a sound, logical approach to modern marketing: great content, clear objectives and a thorough understanding of their social media channels.